Hay burns in an early Monday fire on the Settelmeyer Ranch south of Gardnerville.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
While the investigation into the cause of a barn fire early Monday morning is ongoing, the owners said it was determined that the fire was neither arson nor spontaneous combustion.
In a statement to The Record-Courier, rancher Annalyn Settelmeyer thanked residents for their concern and prayers.
“On behalf of Settelmeyer Ranches we would like to thank everyone who reached out to us and offered their help,” Settelmeyer said. “We are truly grateful to have such amazing people in our community. We would like to say a huge thank you to Mountain West Construction, Crockett Enterprises, Roland and Kurt Dreyer, Tim Lewis Trucking, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and East Fork Fire Protection District.”
East Fork Fire investigator Patrick Mooneyhan said there was no indication of suspicious activity.
The fire was reported at 1:35 a.m. on the west side of Highway 395, according to East Fork Deputy Chief Michael Shockey.
“Upon arrival crews found a heavily involved barn with multiple vehicles that were exposed,” he said. “Crews worked with Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to remove farm equipment from the blaze.”
In addition to East Fork, firefighters from across the region responded to the blaze that involved hay in the barn including Tahoe Douglas and Central Lyon County.
Water tenders from Gardnerville, Topaz Lake, Ruhenstroth and Fish Springs responded to the blaze, since there were no hydrants.
“After the fire was knocked down, (the) homeowner assisted with heavy equipment in breaking apart the haystacks for final extinguishment,” Shockey said.
An excavator and a front loader pulled hay out of the barn so it could be fully extinguished, a process that required most of the day on Monday.
Unlike a Nov. 25, 2024, fire off Jacks Valley Road there were no injuries among the livestock.
The fire just north of Genoa claimed the lives of several animals, including pigs and chickens.
That barn was demolished on the day after Christmas. Mooneyhan said the cause of the fire was undetermined.
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A barn fire on the Settelmeyer ranch south of Gardnerville was still smoking as the sun rose Monday, more than five hours after it was first reported.
The fire was reported at 1:35 a.m. on the west side of Highway 395, according to East Fork Deputy Chief Michael Shockey.
“Upon arrival crews found a heavily involved barn with multiple vehicles that were exposed,” he said. “Crews worked with Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to remove farm equipment from the blaze.”
In addition to East Fork, firefighters from across the region responded to the blaze that involved hay in the barn including Tahoe Douglas and Central Lyon County.
Water tenders from Gardnerville, Topaz Lake, Ruhenstroth and Fish Springs responded to the blaze, since there were no hydrants.
“After the fire was knocked down, (the) homeowner assisted with heavy equipment in breaking apart the haystacks for final extinguishment,” Shockey said.
An excavator was working to pull hay out of the barn so it could be fully extinguished.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Shockey said.
